General Sir Peter Duffell, the former commander of British forces in Hong Kong, has spoken of the "unintended consequences" of Joanna Lumley's Gurkha campaign, suggesting ministers "rolled over" in the face of her glamour. Sir Peter, who welcomed the recognition of the Gurkhas' contribution, said the campaign to allow them to settle in Britain was an "unstoppable force" despite serious reservations about its wisdom. Speaking at the Chalke Valley History Festival, Sir Peter said the upshot of its success, the settlement of Gurkha families in Hampshire, had proved the "law of unintended consequences". When asked about Lumley's personal contribution, he told an audience: "Beauty is a primitive passport." Combined with popular support and the veterans alongside her, he said the campaign "became an unstoppable force and ministers rolled over".

Sir Peter said he had raised three key concerns about the policy, citing relations with Nepal and its reliance on Gurkha pensions, and reservations within the civil service. He said: "Finally, the concern was that while the men leaving [active service] today had many skills, they spoke English, they were ambitious and had no difficulty in getting jobs, older men without English, without these skills, were going to find it very difficult snatched from their environment in the hills to cope in the ambience of Aldershot and Basingstoke. "Well we are where we are. There was a law of intended consequences, I suppose." Speaking to the situation today, Sir Peter added: "But the Gurkhas are here.

About 11,000 came and I suppose with their dependants there are 50,000 or so Gurkha-connected people in this country. "We have done all we can in our welfare organisations to do the right thing by them and help them resettling in this country. "And I think it was absolutely right for the government to recognise the special position of the Gurkhas and let them come."